Method and System for Implementing User Biometrics as a Boarding Pass for Public Transportation

Abstract

A boarding management system which utilizes a person's biometrics as a boarding-pass ticket to increase efficiency without compromising safety. The process begins with an access gate receiving entrant biometric data and an entrant electronic signal through a scanning device. The entrant biometric data is then compared against authentic biometric data for each of a plurality of user accounts to identify a matching account, thus authenticating the entrant individual. Next, boarding-pass data associated with the matching account is checked against a set of requirements to ensure that a matching timeframe and matching route identification data requirements are met. The boarding-pass data of the matching account is compared against a gate itinerary to identify shared scheduling data. If the shared scheduling data meets the set of scheduling requirements and the entrant electronic signal matches the authentic electronic signal of the matching account, then a confirmation notification is sent to the access gate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation comprising the steps of:
 (A) providing an at least one remote server managing a plurality of user accounts, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with authentic biometric data, an at least one authentic electronic signal, and boarding-pass data;   (B) providing each user account being associated with an at least one portable electronic device, wherein the portable electronic device emits the authentic electronic signal;   (C) providing the remote server manages an at least one access gate, wherein the access gate includes an at least one scanning device and is associated with a gate itinerary and a set of scheduling requirements;   (D) receiving entrant biometric data through the scanning device;   (E) receiving an entrant electronic signal through the scanning device;   (F) comparing the entrant biometric data against the authentic biometric data for each of the user accounts in order to identify a matching account from the plurality of user accounts;   (G) comparing the boarding-pass data of the matching account to the gate itinerary with the remote server in order to identify shared scheduling data between the boarding-pass data of the matching account and the gate itinerary;   (H) sending a confirmation notification from the remote server to the access gate, if the shared scheduling data meets the set of scheduling requirements, and if the entrant electronic signal matches the authentic electronic signal of the matching account;   
     
     
         2 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 sending an error notification from the remote server to the access gate after step (H), if the shared scheduling data does not meet the set of scheduling requirements. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 sending an error notification from the remote server to the access gate after step (H), if the entrant electronic signal does not match the authentic electronic signal of the matching account. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing an at least one registration kiosk, wherein the registration kiosk includes a fingerprint reader; 
 prompting, by the registration kiosk, an arbitrary account from the plurality of user accounts to enter authentic biometrics during step (A); 
 receiving a fingerprint image through the fingerprint reader; 
 extracting unique fingerprint identifiers from the fingerprint image with the registration kiosk; and 
 storing, by the remote server, the unique fingerprint identifiers as the authentic biometric data associated with the arbitrary account. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing an at least one registration kiosk, wherein the registration kiosk includes a digital camera; 
 prompting, by the registration kiosk, an arbitrary account from the plurality of user accounts to enter authentic biometrics during step (A); 
 receiving a facial digital image through the digital camera; 
 extracting unique facial identifiers from the digital image with the registration kiosk; and 
 storing, by the remote server, the unique facial identifiers as the authentic biometric data associated with the arbitrary account. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing an at least one registration kiosk, wherein the registration kiosk includes a barcode scanner; 
 prompting, by the registration kiosk, an arbitrary account from the plurality of user accounts to scan a boarding-pass ticket during step (A); 
 receiving boarding information through the barcode scanner, wherein the boarding information is encoded on the boarding-pass ticket; and 
 storing, by the remote server, the boarding information as the boarding-pass data associated with the arbitrary account. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing user identification (ID) information for each of the plurality of user accounts; 
 retrieving scanned ID information from a register ID document through the registration kiosk; and 
 comparing the scanned ID information to the user ID information for each of the user accounts in order to verify the user ID information of an arbitrary account with the scanned ID information during step (A). 
 
     
     
         8 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing a departure time for a scheduled transport route within the boarding-pass data of the matching account; 
 providing a departure time for the scheduled transport route within the gate itinerary; 
 recording a current timestamp during step (D); 
 generating an acceptable tardiness window relative to the current timestamp; 
 designating the departure time of the matching account and the departure time from the gate itinerary as the shared scheduling data during step (G), 
 if the departure time of the matching account occurs before or during the acceptable tardiness window, and 
 if the departure time from the gate itinerary occurs before or during the acceptable tardiness window; and 
 fulfilling one of the scheduling requirements during step (H), 
 if the departure time of the matching account and the departure time of the gate itinerary are designated as the shared scheduling data. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing route ID data for a scheduled transport route within the boarding pass-data of the matching account; 
 providing route ID data for the scheduled transport route within the gate itinerary; 
 designating the route ID data of the matching account and the route ID data of the gate itinerary as the shared scheduling data during step (G), 
 if the route ID data of the gate itinerary matches the route ID data of the matching account; and 
 fulfilling one of the scheduling requirements during step (H), 
 if the route ID data of the matching account and the route ID data of the gate itinerary are designated as the shared scheduling data. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing an at least one registration kiosk, wherein the registration kiosk includes an electronic signal scanner; 
 prompting, by the registration kiosk, an arbitrary account from the plurality of user accounts to enter the authentic electronic signal during step (B); 
 scanning the portable electronic device associated with the arbitrary account with the electronic signal scanner to identify a digital signal; and 
 storing, by the remote server, the digital signal as the authentic electronic signal associated with the arbitrary account. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing the access gate includes a display device; 
 scanning, by the scanning device, a first preset area around the access gate for a plurality of proximal electronic signals; 
 comparing each of the plurality of proximal electronic signals against the authentic electronic signal for each of the plurality of user accounts to compile a set of closest user accounts, wherein the authentic electronic signal from the set of closest user accounts matches a corresponding signal from the plurality of proximal electronic signals; 
 measuring a signal strength for the authentic electronic signal of each within the set of closest user accounts with the scanning device; 
 ordering the set of closest user accounts based on the signal strength associated with the corresponding authentic electronic signal by the remote server; and 
 graphically displaying the set of closest user accounts by the display device. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 providing the at least one scanning device includes a detachable electronic signal scanner, wherein the detachable electronic signal scanner is communicably coupled to the remote server; 
 receiving an at least one desired user account from the plurality of user accounts by the detachable electronic signal scanner; 
 continuously scanning a second preset area by the detachable electronic signal scanner for the authentic electronic signal associated with the desired user account; 
 graphically displaying a proximity notification by the detachable electronic signal scanner, if the authentic electronic signal associated with the desired user account is detected by the detachable electronic signal scanner; and 
 graphically displaying the authentic biometric data associated with the desired user account by the detachable electronic signal scanner, if the authentic electronic signal associated with the desired user account is detected by the detachable electronic signal scanner. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method for implementing user biometrics as a boarding-pass for public transportation as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 comparing the entrant electronic signal against the authentic electronic signal of the matching account during step (H) to verify the matching account; 
 sending the confirmation notification from the remote server to the access gate, if the matching account is verified; and 
 sending an error notification from the remote server to the access gate, if the matching account is not verified.